| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] > | Poll: How many paper dictionaries do you have? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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Julian Holmes 
Japan
Local time: 20:33
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
| At least over 50... | Jan 25, 2012 |
But, hey, so am I! 
A few of them are as well-worn as I am  and none of them are available on CD or online - at least to my knowledge. I'm tending to use them less and less but I'm comfortable in the thought they'll be a great fallback if the occasion arises.
Added the following:
I'm also really shocked that over 33% have... See more
| | | | Patricia Charnet
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:33
Member (2009)
English to French
never realised I had so many but I've got quite a few languages and a certain amount of topics covered too - wow never realised that was that much - my bookcase is full of them - impressive for the guests, useful too and I don't always have to switch the PC on to find a word!
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Like Gilla and Christine, I find the paper dictionaries more reliable. I use a mix of both paper and digital, but but I always have a couple of paper dictionaries by my warm side. I have a lot of respect for them.
Consultation of paper dictionaries is usually faster than online. It's *easier* to switch to another screen and key in a query online, but finding the best answer usually takes longer - unless, of course, the answer is not to be found in the paper dictionaries.
... See more Like Gilla and Christine, I find the paper dictionaries more reliable. I use a mix of both paper and digital, but but I always have a couple of paper dictionaries by my warm side. I have a lot of respect for them.
Consultation of paper dictionaries is usually faster than online. It's *easier* to switch to another screen and key in a query online, but finding the best answer usually takes longer - unless, of course, the answer is not to be found in the paper dictionaries.
One has to start with a good idea of what's most likely to be found where.
My paper dictionaries are at arm's reach over my desk, thanks to creative shelves that my boyfriend built for me. The bottom shelf hovers directly over my works space, and that's the shelf where I find the resources that I use most often.
[Edited at 2012-01-25 10:35 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | John Cutler
Spain
Local time: 13:33
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Some, somewhere | Jan 25, 2012 |
I know I have some, but I don't have the slightest idea of where they may be.
I imagine it depends on what fields you translate into or out of, but I totally disagree with those who say that online dictionaries aren't reliable or are non-existent. There's a boatload of excellent resources on the Web for translating in the areas I work in: science and pharmaceuticals.
For a paper dictionary to keep up with advances and changes in those fields, it would need to be update... See more I know I have some, but I don't have the slightest idea of where they may be.
I imagine it depends on what fields you translate into or out of, but I totally disagree with those who say that online dictionaries aren't reliable or are non-existent. There's a boatload of excellent resources on the Web for translating in the areas I work in: science and pharmaceuticals.
For a paper dictionary to keep up with advances and changes in those fields, it would need to be updated every 6 months to a year, which isn't likely to happen. ▲ Collapse
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Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:33
Russian to English
+ ...
In memoriam
Since about the first 45 years of my translating career were before the Internet existed, I built up a considerable stock of paper dictionaries, and I've bought a few more even in the Internet era. I now consult online dictionaries far more frequently than paper ones, but there are about half a dozen of those which I still use regularly.
| | | | Selcuk Akyuz
Türkiye
Local time: 14:33
English to Turkish
+ ...
| more than 150 | Jan 25, 2012 |
I have a good collection of paper dictionaries and still use most of them. I even have a copy of Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (2nd ed). AFAIK, it is not available in electronic version.
| | | | Mike Sadler (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:33
Spanish to English
+ ...
| A small forest's worth, but I use them once in a blue moon | Jan 25, 2012 |
The air turned blue in Sadler Towers when I realised I'd have to buy a paper copy of María Moliner's wonderful (to me) Diccionario de uso del español, so that I could have it with me for my Dip Trans exam. I already had the electronic version but, of course, they are banned in IOL exams. I checked one word in it on exam day, so I reckon it was worth buying! Anyone want to buy a (nearly) brand new copy of María Moliner??
| | | | Marjolein Snippe
Netherlands
Local time: 13:33
Member (2012)
English to Dutch
+ ...
Probably some more in storage.
I don't use all of them - there are at least two pocket dictionaries I do occasionally consult but every time I find that the word I am looking for is not in there.
I have three other ones (two monolingual, one bilingual) I do find very useful. Especially when I work off-line so I won't get distracted by everything that is going on on the internet.
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Ty Kendall
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:33
Hebrew to English
| Impossible to generalize.... | Jan 25, 2012 |
Quite a few translators at various professional forums argue paper dictionaries are valuable and even indispensable, but I totally disagree with that.
I totally disagree with those who say that online dictionaries aren't reliable or are non-existent. There's a boatload of excellent resources on the Web for translating in the areas I work in: science and pharmaceuticals.
Unfortunately this just isn't the case for all language pairs. The big players (French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, German etc) might have a plethora of online resources but this just isn't the case in my language pair (and for other "smaller" languages).
Offhand I know of one decent business dictionary in my language pair and a couple of half-decent glossaries. There's one or two generic dictionaries, but when it comes to anything remotely specialized (legal, medical, commercial) then at the moment there is no choice but to invest in paper dictionaries, not that I'm complaining as I rather like them anyhow.
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Ty Kendall wrote:
Unfortunately this just isn't the case for all language pairs. The big players (French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, German etc) might have a plethora of online resources but this just isn't the case in my language pair (and for other "smaller" languages). You've got a very good point, Ty. That's the reason why I have so many Russian paper dictionaries. Although you call it a big player, there's almost no ressource for Russian on the Internet. Well, maybe for English Russian, but French russian is a very poor pair in that regard. And say nothing about Ukrainian. Even on paper, I could find only one acceptable large generalist dictionary... into English, found nothing with French.
| | | | Julian Holmes
Japan
Local time: 20:33
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
| The luxury of choice | Jan 25, 2012 |
I'm in a "small" or "minority" language pair myself - so I'm quite in agreement with what Ty is saying.
Ty Kendall wrote:
Unfortunately this just isn't the case for all language pairs. The big players (French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, German etc) might have a plethora of online resources but this just isn't the case in my language pair (and for other "smaller" languages).
Due to the lack of specialist dictionaries in my fields, I've had to create my own or have been asked to help with building in-house dictionaries for customers. And one of my old college classmates who lives around the corner here is in the process of translating a 500-page J>E gemology dictionary.
Whichever choice of dictionary you opt for - analog or digital - all dedicated and committed translators should go to any lengths to be well-armed and get it right. Don't you think?
Happy translating!
| | | | | Too many to use | Jan 25, 2012 |
Some time ago I, sort of, collected various dictionaries and hunted them all over the Web. Some time later I realized I don't need any more, really Anyway, I don't use them very often — it's quicker to check someting online or at least in an electronic version installed on my computers — but when I do use them, they are more helpful than anything electronic. Still, but I am not sure for how long.
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Berna Bleeke (X)
Local time: 13:33
English to Dutch
| I chose 6-10 | Jan 25, 2012 |
But actually, I'm not really sure, and I don't want to put the cat off my lap to go and count them. I never use them anymore in any case, I much prefer my electronic ones.
| | | | maryblack
United States
Local time: 06:33
Member (2013)
Spanish to English
+ ...
I use no paper dictionaries for Spanish anymore since the online resources are more exhaustive and up-to-date. However, for a language whose vocabulary seems to still be "under construction", namely Catalan, having a good paper dictionary is still a must. I'm looking forward to the day when there are better online resources for Catalan and I can dispense with paper altogether!
| | | | Caro Maucher
Germany
Local time: 13:33
Member (2005)
English to German
+ ...
my favourite being a Pierre Larousse dictionnaire complet illustré from 1891 which I got for Christmas a few years ago. Not that I use it, but it's lovely. And it's got a stamp from a library in Constantinople on the first page. (c:
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